''I achieved my dream and a dream that Venezuela also hoped for,'' Limardo said on television. He wore a large flag draped around his shoulders, and people crowded around to hug him and photograph him.

Rodriguez, who won the boxing gold medal in 1968, was among those who welcomed Limardo at the airport.

Chavez announced last week that he will present Limardo with the country's highest honor, the Order of the Liberator, and will give him a replica of a sword once used by South American independence hero Simon Bolivar.

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